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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

10 things to do after a car crash

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners recently put out a checklist to help you gather the neccessary information after a car crash. Here are the their 10 things to do after a car crash: (And here's a printable form for your glove compartment)

1. Remain calm.

2. Assess the scene. Do not get out of your car if it is not safe to do so.

3. Check for injuries.

4. Call the police. Tell them where you are, what happened and if there are injuries.

5. DO NOT admit fault.

6. Exchange information with the other drivers. Get: NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE, INSURER’S NAME, INSURER’S PHONE and POLICY NUMBER for all of the drivers involved.

7. Get names and phone numbers of witnesses.

8. Take photos/video of the scene including the damage to all cars. Cell phone photos will work to document initial damage.

9. Write down/record your record of the events.

10. If the police respond, find out where to get a copy of the police report for your claim. If the police do not come to the scene, ask police dispatch where you can file an incident report.